The present invention relates generally to variable speed transmissions and more particularly, this invention pertains to a method of variably driving a rotary output from a constant rotary input with a power converter.
Variable speed transmissions are well known in the art. Examples of these are illustrated in the prior art patents including: U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,570 entitled “Variable Speed Transmission System And Differential”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,293 entitled “Variable Speed Drive Transmission”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,292 entitled “Variable Drive Transmission”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,352 entitled “Modified Cranking Mechanism For Epicyclic Transmission”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,151 entitled “Transmission Ratio Changing Apparatus And Method”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,778 entitled “Variable Speed Power Transmission”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,435 entitled “Variable Speed Drive Mechanism”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,355 entitled “Constantly Variable Speed Transmission”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,547,453 entitled “Variable-Speed Transmission Device”; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,660,356 entitled “Epicyclic Change Speed Gear.”
Of particular note are patents discussing the use of a differential with a variable speed transmission including: U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,471 entitled “Controllable Pinion Differential Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,592 entitled “Infinitely Variable Speed Drive With Differential Having Two Input Shafts And An Output Gear”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,527 entitled “Differential Drive Mechanism”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,749 entitled “Compact Reversible Variable Speed Transmission And Differential.” All of these and the aforementioned listed patents are hereby incorporated by reference.
These patents fail to provide a planar power converter for use with a rotary input with a differential speed introduced by a variable speed transmission so that the power converter can convert the speed differential into a power output. What is needed, then, is the power converter of the present invention.